Just a quick update to my post the other day about building a ballpark in Halifax. A ballpark built here for a potential minor league club would ideally seat in the 3000-5000 seat range. Two recently constructed parks that Halifax could mimic are Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, AB and Hillsboro Ballpark in Hillsboro, OR.

Seaman Stadium is the home of the Western Major Baseball League’s (summer collegiate) Okotoks Dawgs, it seats 1850 plus an additional 1000 on a grass berm. The stadium uses a natural grass field. The park cost $8,000,000 to build in 2007.

Hillsboro Ballpark is the home of the Northwest League`s (short season affiliated) Hillsboro Hops, it seats 3534, with a total capacity of 4500 including standing room. The stadium uses a FieldTurf surface. Hillsboro Ballpark is also used for soccer and lacrosse use. The park cost $US15.55 million to build in 2012-13.

Just for comparison’s sake, according to the Halifax Central Library`s web site, the new building is costing $36.7 million to building (funding from all three levels of government). The Emera Oval cost $5.7 million to build, over two fiscal years plus $400,000 in annual operating costs. I also gather that the BMO Centre out in Bedford cost $40 million to construct a few years ago (sources say $10 million per ice sheet). So, there is money out there for a $15 million (or so) ballpark. Based on what Winnipeg paid for the new Investor`s Group Field, a football stadium will cost in the ballpark of $204 million.